Syrian prisoner found dead in Cyprus central prison just days before pardon, police said he died by suicide

A 23-year-old Syrian national, Abdul Kader Almfalani, was found dead in his cell at Nicosia Central Prisons in the early hours of Saturday, just days before he was due to be released under a presidential pardon for the Christmas holidays.

Prison authorities alerted police at around 2.15am after Almfalani was discovered unresponsive and showing no signs of life. He was transported by ambulance to Nicosia General Hospital, where his death was confirmed. Officers from the Nicosia Criminal Investigation Department (CID) attended the scene, carried out examinations and collected evidence for scientific analysis, while closed-circuit surveillance footage from the prison wing is also being reviewed.

Initial police assessments indicated no criminal activity, and a post-mortem examination conducted later on Saturday confirmed the death was a suicide. Forensic pathologists, including the head of the Forensic Medicine Service Angeliki Papetta, Orthodoxos Orthodoxou and private pathologist Marios Matsakis, representing the family, found no external or other injuries, ruling out abuse or third-party involvement.

Despite the findings, the death has raised serious questions, as Almfalani was reportedly not under psychological monitoring, had no known medical or pathological issues and had not expressed suicidal intentions, according to his shocked cellmates. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him mopping his ward late on Friday night before returning to his cell shortly after 11pm. He was serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence and was the father of two young children.

Police are now focusing on the circumstances surrounding the incident, including possible failures in internal prison protocols, how his cellmate failed to notice the act and why potentially harmful materials were accessible in the wing where he was held. Statements are also being taken from family members to determine whether there were any warning signs prior to his death.

Justice Minister Constantinos Fytiris visited the prison and received a briefing on the incident. In response, the Prisons Administration has mobilised psychiatrists and psychologists to provide support to inmates in need, while authorities have pledged further measures to address systemic issues within the facility.

The death comes amid heightened scrutiny of Nicosia Central Prisons following a recent report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), which highlighted severe overcrowding, chronic staff shortages and high levels of inter-prisoner violence. The report described conditions as degrading, noting that up to four inmates are held in small cells, some forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, while many blocks lack in-cell toilets, leaving prisoners to rely on plastic containers overnight.

Only days before Almfalani’s death, a 35-year-old Egyptian inmate died after a violent altercation with another prisoner, prompting the arrest of a 30-year-old suspect on charges of premeditated murder. Another prisoner had also rec ently attempted suicide following a transfer between wings.

The latest fatality has intensified concerns over safety and management at the prison, with the CPT urging Cypriot authorities to urgently recruit and train additional staff to restore control and prevent further tragedies.